Stats: B'desh have improved Asia Cup record

Statistical highlights of the Asia Cup league match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh played in Mirpur on Tuesday.

# Bangladesh have reached the final of a One-day competition for only the second time -- their first being against Sri Lanka in the tri-nation Trophy at Mirpur on January 16, 2009, losing by two wickets.

# Upul Tharanga (48 off 44 balls) completed 2,000 runs under Mahela Jayawardene's leadership, aggregating 2007 runs at an average of 30.87 in 70 ODIs, including four hundreds and eleven fifties.

# Tharanga has completed his 200 runs at the Asia Cup -- 241 in seven matches, including two fifties, at an average of 34.42.

# Chamara Kapugedera (62 off 92 balls) recorded his fourth fifty in the Asia Cup -- two each against Bangladesh and India.

# Kapugedera has averaged 40.55 in the Asia Cup -- 365 in 12 matches, his best in the competition being 75 against India at Karachi on July 3, 2008.

# Kapugedera's eighth half-century in ODIs is his second against Bangladesh. He has recorded six fifties in a losing cause out of eight scored.

# Kapugedera's aforesaid innings is his first fifty in eight innings in Bangladesh in ODIs.  During the course of said knock, he has completed his 1,000 runs in ODIs in the subcontinent, managing 1027 at an average of 22.82 in 58 matches, including six fifties.

# Lahiru Thirimanne (48 off 73 balls) has recorded his highest innings at the Asia Cup, eclipsing the 29 against India at Mirpur on March 13, 2012.

# Nazmul Hossain (3/32) has produced his second best bowling figures against Sri Lanka, next only to the 3 for 30 at Dhaka on January 16, 2009.

# Kumar Sangakkara has managed 142 in three matches at an average of 47.33, including two fifties. His runs tally is the highest by a Sri Lankan in the present competition.

# Kumar Sangakkara (741) is the leading run-getter so far this year, followed by Virat Kohli (730) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (720).

# Sri Lanka have lost all the games for the first time in an Asia Cup competition.

# Sri Lanka have lost four consecutive games for the first time in the Asia Cup -- by 81 runs to India at Dambulla on June 24, 2010 followed by three in the present tournament.

# The last time when Bangladesh defeated two Test teams in the same competition was in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. India lost by five wickets at Port of Spain and South Africa by 67 runs at Providence.

# Bangladesh recorded two consecutive wins in an Asia Cup competition for the first time -- by 5 wickets against India and by 5 wickets against Sri Lanka.

# Against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh have won three and lost 27 out of 30 played in ODIs.

# Tamim Iqbal has batted consistently in the present competition, registering 64 against Pakistan, 70 against India and 59 against Sri Lanka.

# Tamim enjoys an excellent record in the Asia Cup, amassing 457 at an average of 41.54 in eleven matches.  His tally includes five half-centuries.

# Tamim's 22nd half-century in ODIs is his third against Sri Lanka. His 59 off 57 balls is his highest against Sri Lanka, bettering the 54 at Colombo (RPS) on July 25, 2007.

# Nuwan Kulasekara (2/30) has produced his best bowling performance at the Asia Cup.

# Shakib Al Hasan's match-winning brilliant 56 off 46 balls is his second highest innings at the Asia Cup -- the highest being 64 against Pakistan at Dhaka on March 11, 2012.

# Shakib's second half-century in the Asia Cup is his 24th in ODIs -- his third against Sri Lanka.

Photograph: REUTERS/Andrew Biraj